handlebar

American  

[han-dl-bahr] / ˈhæn dlˌbɑr /

noun

• handlebars
  plural

1. Usually handlebars.

   1. the curved steering bar of a bicycle, motorcycle, etc., placed in front of the rider and gripped by the hands.

   2. handlebar moustache.

2. a bar or rod, usually of metal and having a handle at one end, used for handling, guiding, or maneuvering some object.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• handlebars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of handlebar

First recorded in 1885–90; handle + bar ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handlebar handlebars

A simple change in handlebar grip can interrupt sensor contact or blood flow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

At 82, the former electrician with his legendary handlebar moustache is still receiving visitors in an office at the heart of the former Gdansk shipyards.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

“To everyone watching, I have one important message,” host Jake Gyllenhaal, who played a uniformed police sergeant with a handlebar mustache, said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2024

Couriers using e-bikes with wide tyres and handlebar gloves have become a common sight in cities across Scotland.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2023

Fremande relaxed slightly, conspir- atorially, stroked a handlebar mustache.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

The rider would then be alerted via either visual signals on the frame, vibrations in the handlebars or through technology inside their helmet.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

At Kampala’s Mirembe food market, where stalls overflow with watermelons and green bananas, fish vendor Medie Waiswa uses disinfectant every morning to clean his countertop, storage cabinet, chairs and motorcycle handlebars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

“Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns: These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power,” he said.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2025

Once on campus, Mara found himself on the receiving end of endless stares, particularly when he zipped around on a scooter that required him to slump over to reach the handlebars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025

Layla’s old bike was in the grass near their gray minivan, the handlebars twisted the wrong way.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake